With more than 20 years of experience leading complex hospitality, entertainment, mixed-use, residential, and commercial projects across the United States and internationally, Emir Tursic serves as Managing Director of HKS Salt Lake City, where he leads the office and its Hospitality practice.

Emir has built a diverse portfolio that spans transformative destination resorts, luxury mountain communities, lifestyle hotels, private clubs, entertainment venues high-rise residential developments, and complex healthcare facilities. His experience includes iconic hospitality projects in Las Vegas and the Wasatch Mountains, proton cancer treatment centers in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, and many of the hospitality, entertainment, and mixed-use developments that are helping redefine downtown Salt Lake City's urban landscape.

Known for combining strategic thinking with design excellence, Emir believes that architecture is most successful when it balances purpose, experience, and long-term value. He is passionate about creating places that strengthen communities, elevate the guest experience, and deliver meaningful business outcomes for clients.

Houston Deck is a Florida native with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Performance and a Master’s degree in Exercise Science. Growing up playing soccer, he developed an early fascination with the preparation side of sport and how athletes can be developed to perform at their best. That passion has led to nearly a decade of experience in strength and conditioning across organizations including Orlando City Soccer Club, Barcelona Residency Soccer Academy, Grand Canyon University, and Sun Valley Ski Academy. He currently serves as a High Performance Specialist with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, supporting athletes and coaches across high-performance sport.

Ryan Mack serves as Chief Communications & Experience Officer at Visit Salt Lake, where he leads the organization's communications strategy, stakeholder engagement, destination storytelling, and experience development for Salt Lake County's visitor economy. As a member of the executive leadership team, he works across media relations, public affairs, government relations, travel trade, and proprietary events to advance VSL's mission and long-term competitiveness as a destination.

When he's not working to tell Salt Lake's story, Ryan can be found on the slopes, the golf course, or a river chasing fish. He lives in Salt Lake with his wife Ella and their two dogs.

Tunisha Brown is the founder and publisher of IMPACT Magazine, a Black-owned media platform dedicated to examining the structures shaping Black life, leadership, wealth, power, and legacy. What began in 2007 as a local publication serving her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, has evolved into a national editorial platform reaching thousands of readers through structural analysis, investigative storytelling, and original programming.

As Editor-in-Chief, Brown has redefined IMPACT’s editorial mission around a simple belief: journalism should not only report what happened, it should help people understand why it happened. Under her leadership, the publication has expanded beyond traditional media to include recurring editorial series such as Black Faces in High Spaces, Unmuted Reads, Unmuted Leadership, and Thinking Unmuted, each designed to examine contemporary issues through historical context and institutional analysis.

Beyond publishing, Brown is building an educational ecosystem rooted in what she calls Building From Truth, the practice of examining the systems that shape society while documenting the lessons required to build institutions that outlast individuals. Through public conversations, live seminars, and original writing, she challenges audiences to move beyond reaction and toward deeper understanding.

Throughout her career, Brown has interviewed and featured influential voices including Tabitha Brown, David Banner, Anthony Hamilton, Garcelle Beauvais, Angie Stone, Kandi, and Karen Civil, while creating platforms that have honored entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, educators, and community leaders across the country. Her work has earned recognition from organizations including the AAMBC Literary Awards, Citibank, JP Morgan, and Utah Business Magazine.

At the center of Brown’s work is one conviction: lasting change begins when people learn to see the structures beneath the headlines, and choose to build something different.

Pascal Begin is an award-winning hospitality and operations leader with more than 15 years of experience managing hotels, ski resorts, and private golf clubs. He currently serves as General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott and Convention Center in Ogden, Utah.

Prior to joining Marriott, Pascal spent six years helping transform Nordic Valley Ski Resort, first as Director of Resort Operations and later as General Manager. During his tenure, the resort experienced significant growth in visitation, revenue, and profitability while completing more than $6 million in capital improvements. Earlier in his career, Pascal served as a PGA of America Golf Professional and held leadership positions at private country clubs in Texas and Colorado.

A graduate of the University of Quebec with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Management, Pascal is passionate about guest experience, leadership development, community engagement, and operational excellence. He currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trustees for Visit Ogden, where he helps promote tourism and economic development throughout Weber County.

LaChell Talley is a senior hospitality executive with nearly 20 years of progressive leadership experience in luxury spa, wellness, and retail operations. She currently serves as Director of Spa at Waldorf Astoria Park City, overseeing spa, wellness, retail, and recreation as a member of the hotel’s Executive Committee. Her career spans leadership roles at The Grand America Hotel, Montage Deer Valley, and Sundance Mountain Resort, where she developed deep expertise in operational excellence, financial stewardship, and team development. Under her leadership, the Waldorf Astoria Park City spa achieved Forbes Four-Star Spa designation.

Growing up in Arizona, Maddie Heywood was always drawn to bringing people together. Inspired by her mom's event planning skills, she quickly became the go-to person for planning gatherings with friends. Her passion for creating memorable experiences first took shape in culinary school during high school, where she discovered food, atmosphere, and details could come together to make something special. Maddie carried that passion to her studies at Utah Valley University, earning a degree in Hospitality Management with a Minor in Event Planning and interning at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, Utah. Graduating in the midst of 2020's challenges, she persevered and grew into an Event Manager role working with all different clients who would do a variety of different events. In late 2022 she decided to switch things up and got a position at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. There, she contributed to major public events such as Luminaria, the Tulip Festival, and Garden of Quilts. Today, as Director of Event Operations at Thanksgiving Point, Maddie oversees multiple departments and leads the execution of private events ranging from weddings to corporate gatherings--she calls it being a manager of chaos.

Maddie has been in Utah for 10 years now - she enjoys traveling, seeing any Broadway show, being in the desert of Arizona, and checking off items on her 30 before 30 list - including watching a baseball game in all 30 MLB Stadiums.

Mauricio Lopez is the Executive Chef at Asher Adams, an Autograph Collection Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, where he oversees all culinary operations, including restaurants, bars, banquets, catering, and in-room dining. Throughout his 16+ years in hospitality, he has grown through a variety of leadership roles in luxury hotels and resorts, developing expertise in culinary operations, food and beverage management, financial performance, guest experience, and team leadership.

Mauricio's journey in hospitality began in El Salvador, where he discovered a passion for cooking and dreamed of becoming a professional chef. Pursuing that dream brought him to the United States, where he worked his way up through the industry, learning from great mentors and embracing every opportunity to grow. That experience has shaped his leadership philosophy and serves as a reminder of the value of hard work, perseverance, humility, and continuous learning. Beyond an incredible career, Mauricio is proud of the people he has worked alongside, and the teams that they have built together to create meaningful experiences for guests and communities.

Today, Mauricio leads a culinary program that supports more than $14 million in annual food and beverage revenue while serving a diverse range of guests, from local diners and hotel visitors to corporate executives, VIPs, celebrities, and professional sports teams, including organizations from the NBA, NHL, MLS, collegiate athletics, and national teams. This role extends beyond the kitchen, partnering closely with hotel leadership to create innovative dining concepts, identify new revenue opportunities, and deliver experiences that reflect the unique character of each property and the local community.

While Mauricio is passionate about food, what drives him the most is people. He firmly believes that great hospitality starts with great teams. Throughout his career, he has taken tremendous pride in building strong, engaged, and accountable teams where individuals feel supported, challenged, and empowered to grow. Some of his greatest accomplishments are not the menus he created or the events he led, but the leaders he developed along the way.

Mauricio believes your team members are your most valuable asset. When you invest in people, provide them with the right tools, and create a culture built on trust, accountability, and respect, they create exceptional experiences for every guest. Every memorable meal, successful event, and positive guest interaction is the result of a dedicated team working together toward a common goal.

Kyle brings a unique perspective from the business of professional sports, where understanding audiences and building meaningful connections are at the heart of the work. As VP of Community & Player Engagement, Kyle works at the intersection of professional athletes, fans, and the broader community. His career offers students a look at how hospitality skills like understanding your audience, building relationships, and creating meaningful experiences can translate into the sports industry.

Jay specializes in developing imaginative and innovative solutions to complex problems. At Zartico, he is creating software to help the ecosystem of destination organizations focus the economic engine of the visitor economy to make it more beneficial to communities, more valuable to visitors and more equitable and open to entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities. Drawing on his years at the Utah Office of Tourism, experience guiding professional photographers in their transition to digital businesses, Jay's vision is helping to shape solutions for the tenth largest industry in the world.

As Senior Director of Resort Guest Services at Snowbird, Levi works across ticketing, mountain school, retail and rental, guest services, mountain hosts, guides, and Powderbird to help deliver a seamless resort experience. His career has also included serving as General Manager of a DoubleTree by Hilton in Park City and working in sales and marketing. Levi offers a broad perspective on managing complex operations, coordinating teams, understanding customers, and building processes that allow organizations to consistently deliver on their promise.

Rachel and Rob Alday are the Co-CEOs and Co-Founders of Abode Luxury Rentals, a boutique luxury hospitality company they have built together from a small Park City operation into a multi-market business serving destinations across Park City, Jackson Hole, and Sun Valley.

Their paths to hospitality began differently. Rachel, born and raised in Chicago, started her career in corporate marketing before moving west to Park City. Rob grew up in Florida and earned a degree in business with a specialization in travel and tourism from the University of Florida before heading to Park City, where a career in real estate revealed an opportunity for a more thoughtful approach to luxury property management.

In 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, Rachel and Rob took a chance and founded Abode Luxury Rentals. Their vision was to pair exceptional homes and refined service with genuine warmth, transparency, and long-term relationships. Nearly two decades later, Abode has grown to more than 200 properties and 50 employees, with services spanning luxury vacation rentals, property management, concierge experiences, and more.

Rachel and Rob lead the company side by side, bringing complementary strengths to a shared vision centered on understanding people, building trusted partnerships, and creating memorable experiences for guests and homeowners alike. Rachel also writes and speaks about hospitality-minded leadership, exploring how care, clarity, and connection can shape stronger organizations and workplace cultures.

Beyond Abode, Rachel and Rob are deeply connected to the Park City community and are raising their three children, Bear, Major, and Annabel, with a shared belief that building something meaningful also means caring for the people and places around you.

Kyle Painter is Co-Founder at Disruptors Media, a Utah-based company delivering fractional Chief AI Officer services to service businesses, contractors, trades, medical practices, law firms, and other professional services. Disruptors Media creates AI systems that assist with lead generation, marketing, lead conversion, operations, and data tracking. Instead of selling generic software, Disruptors Media builds AI systems inside each client's existing stack, allowing businesses to gain real capability without new vendor lock-in.

Beyond Disruptors Media, Kyle is driven by a genuine fascination with AI and a lifelong love for the entrepreneurial journey. That combination has become a personal mission: helping teach both the human and the AI the skills needed to thrive in the age of AI.

Kai Han brings more than 25 years of experience in the Salt Lake City hotel industry, including roles in front desk operations, sales, revenue management, and marketing. As the former Director of Sales & Marketing at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, Kai developed deep expertise in the Salt Lake hospitality market and in the data, strategy, and relationship-building that drive successful businesses.

Trisha Worthington rejoined U.S. Ski & Snowboard in 2014 to lead fundraising for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation. Under her leadership, the annual fund has grown from $2 million to more than $28 million, and the Foundation has completed two successful capital campaigns, which have resulted in the building an $80 million endowment and funding the construction of the Center of Excellence powered by iFit, the organization's training center in Park City. Today, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation stands as one of the most impactful foundations in the national governing body space.

In 2022, Worthington expanded her role to oversee the team's commercial partnerships division. Since then, partnership revenue has tripled, driving a significant increase in funding for our more than 230 athletes.

Adam White is a nonprofit fundraising and operations leader and the Development Director at Spy Hop Productions, a youth media arts organization serving thousands of young people across Utah. He leads institutional giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, revenue strategy, and cross-functional initiatives that sustain free programs in film, music, audio, and design. His career has spanned direct service, program and multi-site operations, organizational growth, and philanthropy—giving him a practical perspective on how mission-driven organizations turn relationships into durable community impact.

Adam also facilitates Business Equality Leader training with Equality Utah. Earlier in his career, The Trevor Project honored him with its Youth Innovator Award, and LogoTV recognized him as a Young Trailblazer for his advocacy alongside LGBTQ+ young people. He holds a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and is particularly interested in human-centered leadership, creative communities, and sustainable nonprofit strategy.